What you need to know about Vietnam’s weather

If making a decision on the best time to go is one of the first questions coming to your mind, let’s check out the article from vietnamislands on: “What you need to know about Vietnam’s weather”. Let’s break up the country into three areas -- the north, the center and the south to get your head around.

Weather in Northern Vietnam

Best time to visit north of Vietnam (Source: Internet)

The Northern Vietnam has a distinct winter and summer season: a warm to the hot wet season (from May to October) and a cool to the cold season (courtesy of the northeast monsoon from November to April). In the summertime beginning in May and ending in October, the whole region experiences a hot and humid weather together with its highest rainfall with July and August being the wettest months of the year in Hanoi. After the warm and sunny weather, cold winter sets in, accompanied by fine persistent mists which can be seen for several days.

The cool but mostly dry winter months beginning in November and ending in April experience the average temperatures of 17-22°C with December and January being the driest months and January – March being the coldest ones. If you are planning to visit the far north of Vietnam in December and January, make sure to pack accordingly to the weather, which in particular can get quite frosty or even a rare snowfall. The heavy mists during this time of the year can reduce visibility in some destinations such as Sapa and Halong Bay, which can prevent junks sailing in Halong Bay and trekking in Sapa.

Hanoi in fall (Source: Internet)

Weather in Central Vietnam

Nha Trang weather (Source: Internet)

Weather in Central Vietnam is considered as a transitionary area climate-wise between the Northern and the Southern regions. Further south, the southern coastal strip from around Nha Trang to Mui Ne is less affected by the rain and sees a longer dry and sunny season with the wet season starting with a flourish in November and continues through December. Further north, Hue and Danang receive considerable rain, from September to February and the temperatures reach their maximum (often in the upper 30s) from June to August.

Weather in Southern Vietnam

Best time to visit Saigon (Source: Internet)

Without the protection of the Truong Son mountain range, the climate of the south is split into two simple seasons, wet (from May until early November) and dry (from November to April/early May) with temperatures remaining constant year round. In the region, daytime temperatures rarely drop below 20°C occasionally reaches 40°C during the hottest months (March, April, and May). During the southwest monsoon from April to September, with June and July being especially wet, the southern Vietnam, especially the Mekong Delta, gets rainy, hot and humid.

The weather in the Mekong Delta (Source: Internet)

When is the best time of year to visit Vietnam?

With such a complicated weather picture, it is difficult to find out an exact answer to the question: “What is the best time to travel Vietnam?” In fact, even when you do the search or ask experienced travelers for their advice on a particular season to recommend as the best time for visiting Vietnam, chances are that not all of you are able to plan it exactly as advised. Due to the opposing monsoonal season, each region from the Northern Vietnam to Southern Vietnam has a different weather pattern. Moreover, each of you has a preference: some are not familiar with the scorching heat of the tropical climate, some want to experience the exciting festival atmosphere, some do not expect to be stuck in terrible tourist crowds while others prefer to meet Vietnamese to talk with them to know more about the local unique custom and culture. Therefore, every month or season in Vietnam has its own advantage to meet one of your expectations, if not all.

Cat Ba Island in summer (Source: Internet)

But if you are still waiting for my advice, I can only give you a small tip: fall (from Sept to December) and spring (February and April), when the temperatures are more pleasant, moderate and rainfall is lighter, are probably the most favorable seasons if you are covering the whole country. Hanoi capital city and other destinations in the Northern Vietnam including Halong Bay, Sapa, Ninh Binh shine at their fullest charm in October, November, and December, when there is little rain, the skies are clearer the weather is temperate while the first half of the year from mid-January to late August, when it is hot and dry, is the best time to visit the coastal stretch from Hue down to Nha Trang and the dry season beginning in November and ending in April/early May with late February to May being slightly hotter and more humid are the best time for Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta.

Stretching more than 1,000km (600 miles) in length and with the huge regional